CBS Backs Greene’s Grammy Programming

CBS has weighed in on the tussle between the American Music Awards’ Dick Clark and the Grammys’ Mike Greene. Clark alleges in a $10 million lawsuit that Greene uses the prospect of a Grammy Awards appearance as leverage to keep major stars from doing the AMAs. While CBS makes clear it is “not a party to the litigation,” the network does say that it stands behind Greene. “As a broadcaster,” CBS says in a statement released Thursday (Dec. 20), “our goal is to provide our audiences distinct, exclusive and compelling entertainment.” LeAnn Rimes got caught in the crossfire in 1997 when she won the Grammy for best new artist but was not invited to appear on the awards show because she had performed on the AMA show. Michael Jackson’s recent cancellation of an AMA spot prompted Clark’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The American Music Awards air Jan. 9 on ABC. The Grammys are set for Feb. 27 on CBS. CBS, CMT and country.com are all owned by Viacom. 12/20/01